William Scott Tanksley

Fire Rescue Officer Tanksley and his engine company were dispatched along with other Dallas Fire Rescue Department to reports of vehicle crashes on a bridge. Road conditions were icy due to low temperatures and precipitation. Upon their arrival, the engine was staged approximately 150 feet short of the incident scene to block.

The officer of the engine company requested sand for the bridge and then requested that the roadway be shut down due to conditions. The officer communicated by radio with Firefighter Tanksley as he checked on the condition of drivers in other cars.

Fire dispatch contacted the engine officer and asked if he could confirm accountability for his crew, the dispatch center had received a report of a firefighter falling from the bridge. A Personnel Accountability Report (PAR) was conducted and Firefighter Tanksley could not be found.

Firefighter Tanksley was located on a flyover bridge below the original incident scene. He was transported to the hospital but did not survive.

A driver lost control on the bridge and struck Firefighter Tanksley. He fell approximately 56 feet to a lower bridge and sustained fatal injuries.

The Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office prepared a detailed report on this incident. The report is available at http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/fire/fmloddinvesti.html

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